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Summaries of the following sessions of Ander's Hope, Arc IV, to archive key locations, NPCs, and rp.
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A restless sleep is broken for most by the sound of a loud, clanging bell and a crier in the streets. "Black night tonight. Curfew in effect! Hear ye! Black Night tonight!" The sun has risen, though the storm holds as dark as ever. There is a knock at the door in a strange pattern, followed by the sound of Mirt's jovial, yet still somewhat groggy, voice carrying through the tavern. Judging by the groaning and Erky's offers to help, it sounds as if he is carrying something large. A clanking reverberates through the main area. "Erky, perhaps over here, we can sit around this table and your fire." The familiar voice of Renaer joins Mirt's. "And thank you so much for breakfast. It is amazing the work you've been able to keep up here, given the state of the place. And, goodness, the inside really DOES look fine!" To which Erky responds with an embarrassed chuckle... "As long as you don't go too far upstairs!"
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Session 95, Excited and Scared
- This session takes place 14 Mirtul, 1494
- Dhann's send to Elminster, the night prior:
- "You mad bastard. Did you intend to slay Cyric? Do you fight, still? You owe Ander. Stay alive. Fight, Aumar. Don't you dare give up."
- Elminster after a long pause, is able to respond: In a halting voice, clearly distracted by some deed requiring great effort, the Old Sage responds, "As long as I breathe, I will battle the Prince of Lies. But I no longer can aid the young Blackwood. YOU are Ander's hope.
- Tonight is a Black Night (new moon) where the curfew in Waterdeep is in effect come six in the evening. Mirt and Renaer Neverember arrive to discuss next steps. Mirt brings a collection of shadow weapons for the group to choose from if they would like to use any. Barrett, Ely, and Aiden all take something. Dhann refuses and so does Z. Dhann updates the group on some of Ander's notes he went over the night before.
- Finally. I’ve gotten my hands on some. The sphere is holding. I can move it around as needed which is helpful. The sphere seems to hold far more than it should which is also helpful. Reaching in still scares me a little but I seem to have it bending as I like. The light helps.
- 11 Kythorn - Maran still won’t touch it. It seems to lean toward him when I’m using it. I don’t like the way he reacts to it or it to him so I’m only using it when he’s not around. He can still help, I just won’t actually test it until he’s gone from the room.
- “Success! I’ve gotten it into our weapons! Unfortunately, it drains me considerably but some rest and I’m ready to go again. The dagger took almost two ten-day, but I think it will get easier. Erky noticed but I think, as long as I rest before I see him, he won’t see it again.
- Erky is getting suspicious. Everything else will need to be encoded from here on out. Luckily, I’ve figured out how to communicate with Maran effectively so Erky has no idea what we’re talking about. The upside is that we can keep working when he’s around. The downside though is I think I have to leave Trollskull to work on this. I think Renaer has a place I can use but I won’t take Maran there.
- “2 Eleasis - He’s almost here. I knew he was coming. I’ve known. But now that the time has actually come, I’m just scared.
- I’ve cleaned it from the weapons I made for Renaer. Most of it is in my sword but the dagger holds the rest. I think the weapons will be fine. My sword and the dagger seem to be good repositories. Larloch was right. I keep the dagger hidden and I seem to be able to control the sword.
- The weight is getting heavier. I’ve faced him twice. Each time it gets heavier. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to wield it. But, in the end, I don’t think it will matter. It is almost over anyway. Waterdeep is lost and with it any hope I had. The legacy of my family dies with me. The shame is almost unbearable. If there is any hope at all, it lies with the Weaver. My time is done. Only four days.
- Additional notes from Ander about the Eclipse:
- The battle at the eclipse was intense. Blackstaff fell as previously learned and Ander had sorted out that he was the Blackstaff. However, Ander preferred not to have him take up the position or to have anyone else know, lest Maran become a target. He kept Maran from speaking to anyone for the most part and those who might be able to figure it out (Renaer, etc.) were kept far away.
Based on some of the information Ander received from Maran, Elminster’s imprisonment may be opposite Cyric’s, as if they are in similar but opposite plains locked in some battle neither can win. Freeing one may free both. In Ander’s mind, Elminster is permanently locked away until and unless someone is ready to battle Cyric. He also appears very angry with Elminster for what happened to Maran. The tools they needed were supposed to unlock dunamancy. Ander believes that Elminster had decided to simply slay Cyric himself and skip Dunamancy altogether. The tools they needed were insufficient to unlock Dunamancy but the only hope was to do it AT the time of the eclipse. Without the stones and without the Trollmates, Elminster decided to take a gamble and it failed. The return from the eclipse to Waterdeep took Ander almost a month. The trip was arduous because of Maran’s condition. Ander’s mood during this time seems to have decayed significantly. He writes about the journey as “eye-opening” but, to Dhann, it mostly sounds as if the time was the beginning of Ander’s descent into anger and angst.
- The battle at the eclipse was intense. Blackstaff fell as previously learned and Ander had sorted out that he was the Blackstaff. However, Ander preferred not to have him take up the position or to have anyone else know, lest Maran become a target. He kept Maran from speaking to anyone for the most part and those who might be able to figure it out (Renaer, etc.) were kept far away.
- Mirt details that the trade routes and roads of the coast are dangerous and the coast itself is collapsing due to the power of the cult, the darkness, and the evil rampant and running amok. The cult has mostly gone underground and almost never visible in large groups. They move through the Underdark primarily. Dhann offers to try the spell Forbiddance to block the portal opening in the City of the Dead to give Waterdeep a reprieve from the growing monsters in the streets. Each Black Night, the monsters seem to evolve and gain a new power or grow stronger, or a new type of damage. Mirt and Renaer gladly agree to try this, and so Dhann attunes to the Ashen Reach ring that Ander crafted. The portal opens in the basement of an old chapel once dedicated to the deity Waukeen. Renaer brings the book The City of Splendors: Roots of Gold. A notable figure buried in the chapel is one of her champions, Gremmin Teldarahk who was a dwarf and follower of hers before the gods' war, spending his entire fortune trying to help restore her. He died before she regained her god status back. Ely casts a little Fey otter "familiar" for Erky with Prestidigitation. The group requests the help of Arkes and Erminti with the crypt as they have been there before. Going to the chapel, the place is dilapidated and falling apart. It looks like followers of Shar have somewhat desecrated the place. There is a trapdoor to the basement and the group heads down. Dhann uses the Eye to sense, if possible, the best place to cast Forbiddance and finds a good spot in the center of the last room of the small crypt. Z ties up the coffin with Gremmin's name on it, and Dhann begins casting Forbiddance while the rest of the group stands guard. As the spell begins to manifest, ghosts emerge, and sound begins to emit from Gremmin's coffin, and combat ensues.
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Over halfway done.
A rhythmic thunking...movement around him...the voices of his companions, tension in the air - Dhann senses all of it but only has focus for the spell he's manifesting. Holding the ruby dust and incense close, the smoke tinges the Cleric's chanting with a fragrant essence as the powdered ruby, in tandem with the Ashen Reach, grows warmer. The red, gemlike light from beneath his other hand, palm to the ground, slowly intensifies as it pulses out in concentric rings and Dhann closes his eyes, ducks his head, to better concentrate on the incantation.
He doesn't think of what will happen if the spell fails, or succeeds, or the confrontation he knows is about to break out in the vault. Dhann's friends are capable and he knows that to stop what he's doing would squander what they're doing here, the entire point of being here.
Dhann closes most of his mind off, so that his own words, even whispered, are loud in his lungs, mixing with spices and light. Even as a distant part of his mind is subtly alert to his surroundings - the Cleric is pulling his magical energy, pressing it into the space around him, committed to nothing else but this duty for the next three minutes.
Over halfway done...
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Session 96, Forbiddance Cast, Continued
- This session takes place 14 Mirtul, 1494
- The group continues to battle the undead while Dhann is occupied with casting Forbiddance. Ghosts and zombies appear, and eventually, Gremmin is able to bust his way past Z's wrappings over the coffin to join in the fray. As he reaches the limits of his endurance under the brutal counterattacks of the Maybesitters, Gremmin tries for one last explosive attack. Summoning an orb of some sort of magic, he cries out, "My lady Waukeen, I have failed you again! This will be the last time!" The magical attack deals a significant amount of damage and it's only thanks to Elyana's halving wounds ability that Dhann is able to maintain concentration on the spell. Barrett takes Gremmin's armor and stores it in the Bag of Holding. Dhann gives a small prayer of apology to Waukeen for the damage dealt to her long dead followers as well as a chapel formerly dedicated to her. Their enemies are slain and the Forbiddance in place, and so the Maybesitters leave the crypt behind to report news of their success to their allies. It is also decided that with enough daylight left, to try and get Maran to Blackstaff Tower.
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It is a quiet, almost somber walk back to TrollSkull Tavern. Despite having achieved their goal of planting the Forbiddance spell with no losses to the party, there is still a certain heaviness to the march. Perhaps it is the combination of the ever-present storm and rain. Or the visual reminders in the buildings and roads of the destruction wrought on the city over the last year. Or the lack of people on the streets, still hours before curfew. Partly, it is the forlorn and hopeless way that Gremmin cried out to his deity before expiring.
”I can’t blame him for that last attack,” Barrett thinks, looking at the backs of his charred companions as they approach Trollskull Alley from the east, “I would have done the same thing.” His eyes are drawn to Ely’s pack where he knows the Bag of Holding carries Gremmin’s armor, gear and weapons. Under most circumstances, they probably would have put his equipment back in his coffin and sealed it. Gremmin had fought well and for something he believed in; that deserved some level of respect. Who's to say that his cause was any less noble than ours? But with a war on and critical materials in short supply, there was no option but to bring his things along and hope the Circle of Ash can put them to good use. Barrett does hope Gremmin is finally resting in peace.
”Maybe everyone will rest peacefully tonight,” he thinks hopefully as they approach the front door. But the cynical voice that has been with him since his return from the dead whispers, “Maybe…but at best it’s only for one night. And maybe the Shadowfell portal will simply open tonight in the center of the Sea Ward or the Copper District or...maybe right under TrollSkull instead. Did you ever think of that?” He sighs inwardly and continues on. His eyes are drawn again to the space above the tavern which two stories of their building once occupied. The ever-hopeful Dustu would say that “half a defeat is still half a victory,” while his hard-driving sensei Thilthaad espoused the opposite view that “half a victory is still half a defeat.” What would either of them say about this situation?
After checking that they aren’t being observed, they enter the tavern. The fireplace is still blazing, and from the kitchen Barrett can clearly hear Erky fussing over something he’s baking. The aroma is delicious, and the warmth is inviting. He doesn’t know who else is here, but suspects someone is.
“I know we are going to rest up a bit and discuss what else, if anything, we are going to attempt today,” he says as everyone makes their way towards the hearth after doffing their wet outerwear. “Please allow me to give those of you that need it some healing as we do.” He begins moving among them, starting with Ely and Aiden, then working his way through Z, Dhann and the rogues. He thanks Valkur again for the ability to manipulate their Ki for the good.
Dhann's mind is buzzing with the exhilaration of the spell being cast, everyone being safe back at the Tavern, and the countdown to nightfall, among a myriad of other thoughts. Gods! They'd done it! Now it was just a waiting game. Nerves are only going to increase as the darkness outside does, he knows, but that's inevitable for his high strung mind, when it comes to such topics as these. But they'd done it! The portal has been Forbidden and so, benevolent and neutral gods willing, the Black Night's potency will be lessened.
He'd missed, essentially, all of the fight besides the bit he let filter into his consciousness while rhythmically chanting, nonstop, for ten minutes. Dhann's not sure when his waterskin ran empty on the walk back - so focused on his thinking that his body took care of him without his even being aware - and so while Barrett first tends to the others, Dhann refills his canteen to half drain it again in one go before even leaving the kitchen. And now, everyone being in a much better state and settling down for a short rest before proceeding with the rest of their plans in the dim daylight hours, the Cleric thanks Helm for magic, friends, and a coordination within the group that's bordering on instinctive, if not already there.
But on the topic of magic...Dhann runs a finger along a pinkish area of newly healed skin on his arm - with a small thanks to Valkur and Barrett, as well - mulling over something he had noticed after the fight had concluded, and as they had walked back to the Tavern.
"Barrett," He starts, looking up at the Monk. "You cast something on me, toward the beginning of the fight. I heard what you'd whispered, I know it was some sort of protection, but..." Dhann frowns a bit in concern. "I didn't feel it much, then, but on looking back, I realize now I didn't feel it, at all. As if it...felt empty. Like the guidance, from yesterday." He turns from the hearth to fully face Barrett and reaches a hand out. "Do you mind if I try asking Lord Helm for a prayer of guidance, for you? To see if you receive the blessing?"
"Or you, Elyana? If I might do the same?" Dhann looks inward, his brow furrowing slightly more. "I...I'm not sure if this is a block from the storm, or something else. But it disturbs me."
Barrett, never one to follow deep arcana thoughts very far or very fast, replies immediately. He's seen Dhann do things that he thought were impossible for all but the masters at his monastery. If he can help, he will.
"It was just a simple Protection from Evil spell. I say 'simple' because it was one of the few that I was actually able to master in the first year of my studies. It was the one that Stardust pointed to again and again when I wanted to give up. I know you know it, and Ely knows it," he says, glancing at Ely and then at Z. "Heck...Z could probably master it if he tried. Anyway, I know that one well and I'm sure I cast it correctly. I definitely didn't get a hint that it didn't...that it didn't land as I expected it to." He looks again at Dhann. "But you are saying my Guidance from yesterday didn't land either? That's strange." He thinks for another moment, then adds, "But my Sacred Flame and my Shield of Faith worked today, so...well I don't know what to make of that. But of course, use me for whatever test you want to run."
"It may be a simple spell, but it's an important one," Dhann says quietly, stepping to where Barrett is seated. "I thank you for the cast, even if something seems to have hampered it." And then, pressing his two first fingers gently against Barrett's shoulder, he whispers, "Lord Helm guide you," before moving back a bit. It occurs to Dhann he hasn't cast this guiding warmth since they've returned, he doesn't think. The blandness of Ceremony and the pain from attempting to set the waymarker, just yesterday, hover in the back of his mind as he waits to see if Barrett feels anything at all, from this small prayer.
"It's something to do with the goodness intended, or inherent in certain spells, I think," The Cleric says, concentrating on the place he'd touched Barrett's gi. "My healing spells were fine, in the vault, but even something as easy to cast as a ceremonial spell felt off, to me." His stoic frown is back. "I'm unsure yet if it's the caster, or the recipient...or both. Or the spell, or even all three elements."
"Stressful" is what Ely would have described their fight in the chapel. "Stressful and exhausting." On their side of the battle, knowing it was solely her and Arkees' efforts standing between undead horror and Dhann's spell being successful, was a challenge she didn't realize would shake her confidence in protecting him as it did. So many close calls. Too many for her liking. But they were successful, and that helps to keep her spirits up. They'll deal with this whole problem one step at a time. First, regain their strength and then get Maran to Blackstaff Tower. After Barrett heals what he can, Ely stretches out the rest of the kinks in her back from being flung into a stone wall and crush between a door and a hard place. She sends Aiden off the find Squiddly, they need him inside before curfew. And then finally chimes into the current conversation.
"I can only say that Hellish Rebuke definitively failed, I'm not sure why other than we were in the hundred percent zone. Protection was... well I was very focused on making sure Aiden was covered more than what I was feeling when I cast the spell. But considering he says he got to laugh in a ghost's face, tells me it worked well enough. Fey magic is weird. I wish I could give you a better answer."
Checking the damage of her clothes beneath her Couatl Armor, "Do you still want to cast guidance on me?"
“Perhaps, if you wouldn’t mind.” Dhann rubs his palms together, thinking about the entire situation while concentrating on the simple cantrip. “Thanks, as well.” The Cleric’s gaze takes in the group and their various states of charred edges, their scuffed gear and settled disarray. “All of you. It’s difficult, to be still, to focus on something while the rest of you are helping to make sure I can get a task done. It’s a lot to ask of you and I know it’s not simple, or easy.” His tone is serious; his entire posture is humble. “You’re a remarkable force I’m grateful to be blessed to assist. And to be assisted by.”
He takes a seat on the hearth, hands pressed together, before saying a bit more quietly, to himself, “Very grateful.”
"It was a good idea, so we're willing to have your back." Ely replies with a tired smile, "No matter what." She rises to her feet, still feeling the aches and burns as she moves. "I'll be back for that guidance." And she makes her way to restroom and steps inside. "Oh hey there NiNi." The door closes behind her.
Barrett gradually becomes aware of the spot where Dhann's fingers had pressed against his shoulder. He's received Guidance from Dhann before and it's always been similar to what he feels when he asks for Valkur's Guidance. "Dhann, Helm's Guidance...it's...it's not the same as it usually is," he says, trying to find the words. "Usually, Guidance from Helm or Valkur feels warm, reassuring, supportive. This is..." he pauses, rubbing the spot on his shoulder, "well, this is not that."
Dhann's head jerks up as soon as Barrett begins to speak, but his expectant gaze grows darker, concerned, as the Monk's description isn't at all what he was praying for. "It's not empty, for you, then? So you feel...it's - what is it?"
Barrett considers Dhann’s words, understanding the importance of his description. Finally he nods, saying, “Yeah, I guess empty is the best word I can come up with.”
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Session 97, A Lack of Blackstaffiness
- This session takes place 14 Mirtul, 1494
- Maran continues to only be able to speak in jumbled sentences and his eyes continually shift color as he seems to shift personalities. Communication is difficult, potentially impossible. The group tries to use a map of Waterdeep to figure out where Maran might want to go and he recognizes Blackstaff Tower at the very least. He seems to want to teleport rather than walk, so the group decides to attempt this. With the magic used, the group hears Maran shout, "Uarlaenpellam!" and the group teleports to - an unknown location, but the storm over Waterdeep is still in this area. They seem to have landed in a copse or small forest with sickly looking trees. The storm is above them but there's some sunlight to the south, as if they are on the edge of the storm itself. Waterdeep looks to be a mile or two to the southwest. Maran heads off and the group follows, and he seems to be looking for something. Suddenly, a cloaked, catlike figure with black wings emerges from a treetop to watch the group. Communication is attempted and the figure seems highly suspicious of the group, and battle ensues. The figure duplicates himself and surrounds the group. During the fight, another creature shows up, a couple of Unknowns. They look sickly and hungry. After an intense fight, the group vanquishes all but the last (technically the first) catlike figure. Maran steps forward and says, "Must talk with Azure's Edge," at which point the figure stops, and takes flight, slowly, away from the group. He then turns, attempts to approach Maran, and asks, "Tsara, my dear Tsara - is this you?"
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Session 98, We Need Our Stinkin' Badges!
- This session takes place 14 Mirtul, 1494
- The catlike being introduces himself as The Nameless Haunt. Tsara, one of the past Blackstaffs, seems to have had a relationship with the Nameless Haunt. The Nameless Haunt understands what the group is trying to do to help Maran and leads them into the woods. He leads them to a large nest overhanging a cliff, and the group follows. The Nameless Haunt gives them a map of Waterdeep that has bizarre names that no one recognizes instead of the proper names. They will also need twin axes. Azure Blade is currently held by Renaer's friend, Meloon and Azure Edge will magically return to the Nameless Haunt when it is no longer needed by the Blackstaff for ascension. The map can be used with the moon, somehow. The group thanks the Nameless Haunt and teleports back to Helm's Hall as the quickest way back to Waterdeep. They are questioned upon landing in the Hall and are given a token of the Hall to show they are legitimately who they say they are if they use the circle again. It seems evil tries to enter the Hall through the circle and so guards have been placed as a precaution. There is a heavy level of despair within the Hall that has never been seen by any of the Maybesitters. As the group heads out to The Yawning Portal, the storm to the north seems to be growing angrier as evening approaches. The Yawning Portal is comfortably "normal." Through dinner and multiple experiments, the group tries to crack the mystery of the map and the axes.
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The din of the Yawning Portal bleeds through the door of their private room. Ely isn't too surprised by the crowd. Drinking is the most consistent activity for any state of society. And it's especially true for the desperate and depressed. But all that is second to the knowledge they've been gaining from Renaer and Meloon about their Blackstaff experiences. And it's a lot of information to process.
Elyana watches the faces of the group around her, occasionally chiming in, but mostly overwhelmed with the choices presented to them. She's not even going to touch the problem of solving the map code. At this moment, if she did, her little half-elf brain might actually explode. There's a pause in the conversation as everyone ponders, searching for answers, or more questions that need answers, and she reflexively reaches down for her flask.
Damn. It's empty.
With a deep breath, she tries, instead, to refocus her mind to what she can comprehend, but even that only leads to more questions. "Guys? I don't know what we should be doing next? Our options are kind of all over the place, no? Maran, Stout, the Shadowfell? What else? How do we figure what to tackle next?"
Dhann leans forward, intently staring at the two maps - the first one, from the Nameless Haunt, and the second, only showing the rough crescent shape. He's been able to deduce a beginning and an end to the "route..." And multiple sentences have sprung up in his mind, sifting through the pool of words available, but none of them make enough sense, yet - and there are always three or four words left over. "We certainly have more options than we're used to, I think," He says, standing and pulling his gauntlets back on. The Glove of Radiance disappears into a secure vestment pocket. This way, the Cleric can monitor the Shadow outside while able to move the Azure twins. "Everything you've mentioned, on top of the locations Ander catalogued in his writings."
"I feel that if we can glean any more about this map, or what it leads to, that may help us plot a course for Maran..." Dhann gently lifts the head of Azuredge and slips the crescent drawing underneath the blade, fidgeting the parchment to see if any of the words align with the window-like gems, fitting the curve of the "moon" to the edge of the blade as best he can. He frowns.
"These stones are unlike any I've ever seen." It's almost muttered to himself, thoughtfully, as he respectfully lowers the axe to lay flat on the table again. "Perhaps there's something about these blades in the Historia?" Dhann crosses his arms, still staring down at the papers and axes. "If we can't find anything tonight, I do have the ability to pray for insight into further information, on people, items, places. It's a bit of a...finicky spell, though. And I wouldn't be able to cast it until tomorrow."
"Yeah...I guess that's something to search for." Ely reaches into the bag, hesitating for a beat as she remembers Meloon was with them, but taking the Historia out anyways. Who's he going to tell? "So, we finish this thing with Maran first? Help him ascend to Blackstaffdom? But can we do that without moonlight in the city?" She begins flipping through the book, starting at where they found the Blackstaff entry and working her way around there.
Barrett, seeing Ely drawing the now-familiar tome from her bag, whispers a prayer to Valkur to Guide her search and gently touches her shoulder.
"I'll admit that I'm feeling like I did a hundred years ago, when I first set foot on the deck of true sailing ship. There were ropes everywhere and I had no idea where they all went, much less which one to pull on first." He notices that even with all the confusion, there is a certain glimmer of joy on Dhann's face as he works though the puzzle. The young man does love a good cypher. "Dhann, why don't you hang on to Fr. Evencrest's journal. It's got just about as many of your notes in it now as it does his."
The Cleric spares a glance down at the journal, still opened to the page on which he'd written down the list of repeated names and their accompanying words. "Ah...thanks." There's a hint of a sheepish amusement for just a moment in his tone. "I didn't realize I'd added so much." Dhann nods appreciatively at Barrett. "I'll put it with the rest of what I have."
"We've collected quite the valuable trove of information, haven't we." Ely adds patting the giant tome of magical items before flipping to another page.
Eyes back down on the papers, Dhann presses his right hand to his mouth and rests his elbow on his left palm. The studious scowl resettles on his face as he nods at Ely's remark. "Indeed...now it's just deciding which rope in the trove we decide to tug on first..."
"I could attempt ritually communing with Lord Helm, perhaps narrowing our pool of options, or prioritizing one of them?" Dhann's head tilts to the side, considering. In his hand, the Eye's humming hasn't lessened - but neither has it intensified. "It may not work...but I could try it."
Barrett shifts in his seat, seeming a bit uncomfortable with that suggestion. He runs a finger over some of the gems on Azureblade, clearly trying to figure out how (or if) to reply. Eventually, he stands and moves to he door, "I'm going to order us some food. Can I get anyone a drink while I'm up?"
Ely pauses, hand floating mid-page-turn, at this offer of communing with Helm. They need help getting answers, but... There's a feeling of hesitation Ely can't explain, but she doesn't want to voice it without good reason. She need time to think. She needs a drink.
The page turns over fully. "Actually, I'll come with you."
Barrett nods, offering her a hand to help wiggle out from behind the long bench.
She takes the proffered assistance and deftly squeezes between seats and walls to exit the room.
As they leave the small back room, Barrett continues to hold her hand, gently guiding her towards an empty space at the bar. It's not a romantic gesture; he just needs to feel a solid presence. Someone or something to ground him as the options for what to do next - most of which he doesn't understand - swirl about them. Arriving, he places her hand on the bar and pats it. He lets go and his eyes say "thank you" as he nods, giving her a genuine smile.
Bonnie arrives, and he places an order for food and drinks, having a pretty good idea what everyone wants, or at least what everyone will tolerate. He also asks Bonnie to pull an expensive, dusty bottle down from the top shelf, sliding her a platinum piece in exchange. When she moves off, he turns to Ely and smiles again, but this time there's a strain behind the eyes. He scans the room for threats or undo attention, but most people seem otherwise occupied.
"Here," he says, breaking the seal on the bottle and offering it to Ely. "Top off your flask and let's drink the rest quickly. We should get back before we are missed." Aware that they aren't within the Sanctum, he quietly asks, "So what do you think about this idea of Communing?"
Noticing that Barrett's grip on her hand remains even as they leave the room and pass through the crowd, Ely doesn't pull away. She told herself she'd have his back no matter what, so she gives his hand a reassuring squeeze. After that, her last few steps are taken deep in thought of what her previous hesitation meant. Why the gut feeling to not rely on Helm for answers as desperate as they are of anything substantial to lean on?
Her eyesbrows frown, thoughts interrupted by the sound of Barrett ordering a bottle of something old and expensive, and then quickly brighten up at the suggestion they finish it before returning. "You read my mind" She responds, pulling her flask off her hip. "Unfortunately, there's nothing to top off in here. Just gonna fill it right up, if that's okay." She doesn't wait for his consent as she begins to pour it down the small opening. "I think..."
She pauses, her thoughts drifting to find a proper answer to his question, when a momentary lapse of concentration causes some of the liquor to spill out the side and all over her hand. Ely swears, Barrett would recognize the Elvish curse, but still most of the alcohol makes it into the flask. "I think Helm is...unreliable. Whether because of this stupid storm, or something more than that, he's not been very consistent as far as deities go." She takes a long swig from the bottle directly after and hands it back to Barrett. She stares at the bar top, tracing spilled liquor across the wood grain, concern written all over her face. "And... if it doesn't work, what's that going to do to Dhann? You know?"
Barrett takes a long pull from the bottle, noting that it is already half empty...or still half full. "Yep. That's my other concern," he admits, looking at the bottle extended at arm's length. He studies a drip that Ely spilled as it succumbs to gravity. It bravely cuts a path through the thin layer of dust, making it's way {makinItsWay!} down the side of the ornate glass bottle. "I know I'm not the most zealot disciple of Valkur, but I have faith. But I'm like a three on a ten scale compared to Dhann's faith in Helm. And his is somewhere around an eleven." He takes another swig. It is a good vintage. "This is all moving too fast. Maran isn't in danger and isn't going anywhere. And there's no moon tonight anyway."
He pressed the bottle into Ely's willing hand. "Dhann will never go on his own as long as he thinks it's a burden to us, but I think we need to drag him back to Fr. Evencrest, tonight. If he - we - are going to rely on Helm in any way, he needs to know what they know about the situation at the Hall. Me and you and Z aren't going to be any help with this one."
Slender but worn fingers take the bottle slowly as Elyana considers the Elf and what he's suggesting, a frown across her lips. "I don't think we'd need to drag him there, per se." She swirls the bottle. She can't disagree with Barrett. If Dhann thinks it would be a burden, he'll wait until they're done with Maran's ascension before doing what he wants.
"Having Helm's guidance would be beneficial but... What if Dhann goes to the Hall and that doesn't help? What next? We'll still have to find another way to fix the problem...problems." She takes another drink, downing several long gulps, and sets the bottle on the table between them. She leans on the bar, amber eyes catching his. "We can sleep at the Hall so Dhann can talk to the Father but...me and you and Z still have to find ways to be helpful anyways. As back up." The concern on the Half-elf's face is still there, but it's clear she's making a considerable effort to put forth at least a smidgen of confidence in her voice. The alcohol helps. Maybe not to convince Barrett, but certainly to convince herself.
Barrett thinks about Ely's reply, and nods. He hasn't a clue how to be helpful in this situation, but he'll try. Just then, Bonnie returns with a platter of food. She sets it on the bar while she pours the requested drinks to finish their order. Barrett lifts the bottle, and is - and is not - surprised that it only contains enough for half a swallow. He asks Bonnie for another, and as she retrieves it, he picks up the food tray, replacing it with an additional platinum piece. Bonnie starts to protest him helping, but then smiles and picks up the drinks, scooping the coin into her apron.
Ely requests yet another bottle of whatever better tasting whiskey Bonnie could recommend, slipping the coin owed over and directing the placement of this second bottle into the Bag of Holding. She thanks Bonnie for her service and then moves herself to Barrett's side, holding the other bottle he ordered and ready to make their way to back to their much more quiet private room.
Barrett, Ely and Bonnie enter the private room bearing food and drinks. After distributing everything, Bonnie retreats with empty trays, casting one more glance at he matched pair of impressive battle axes taking up most of the table. It is strange...but not the strangest thing she's seen at the Yawning Portal. "Did you make any discoveries in our absence, Dhann?" Barrett asks, returning to his seat. He's surprised to find he actually has an appetite, and starts to fill a plate.
Dhann had noted his companions' silence at his suggestion, and then somewhat abrupt exit from the room. He knows it's nothing personal, but something related to magic, or perhaps...Yes - it's probably magic, and the storm. And empty stomachs can make for tenser nerves, so it's not as if Barrett and Elyana's errand was out of the realm of logical.
"No," He responds to Barrett with a bit of a sigh, sitting down and pulling the journal of notes a bit more towards him, as if proximity might lead to answers. There are new sentences written; words crossed out, rearranged, nothing definitive. The Historia has also been tugged around, to make wherever Ely had left off, easier to see. "I get the sense all of the words are needed in the final message, but without knowing more than that, I could make a dozen arrangements and any one of them be the answer, and we'd never realize it."
His gauntlets are doffed again, to make writing easier, and the Cleric leans forward once more, to take in the maps and notes. "How was it out in the common area?" Dhann looks up to Barrett, then Ely.
"Crowded mostly." Ely says slipping by Renaer and Meloon to reclaim her seat in the corner.
"And I didn't notice anyone paying any particular attention to us," Barrett adds, salting a piece of chicken. "For whatever that is worth."
"So Dhann, about communing. I..." Ely sets her plate of roasted veggies and potatoes down in front of her. "I was thinking and I'm kinda of the mind that we may not be able to rely on Helm as much as we use to." She sticks her fork into a carrot slice but doesn't pick it up, "And after what happened with that other spell, I'm worried of what might happen if it doesn't work."
"But of course if you are willing to try anyways, then... you are your own person. I'm..." She glances at Barrett and then down at her food, "...just worried."
Barrett isn't going to leave an ally hanging. "For what it's worth, Dhann, I agree...with both parts: that I'm worried about relying on Helm, but also willing to support you if you want to try it." He sets his chicken down, wiping away the grease on his fingers. Why do fried foods like this smell so good?
"But along those lines, would you consider...I mean, would it help if we made going to the Hall, tonight, the top priority?" he asks, trying to find a window to guage the time. "I would think that those at the Hall could share their experiences with you, which might help you determine the next, best course of action. It could at least narrow down whether this is a 'you' thing or a 'Helm' thing."
Elyana glances up from her plate, watching the Cleric for any kind of response.
Dhann hesitates for a moment before sitting up properly in his seat. His attention is intently on Elyana, while she talks, before his pale eyes shift to Barrett and the Monk says his part. His friends' words, their concerns, have Dhann's brow pulling softly into a concerned expression of his own. "I...don't have to cast anything, if you prefer." The Cleric's tone holds genuine considerateness, even if he's somewhat...taken aback. As Barrett finishes speaking, Dhann's eyes flicker over to Elyana's before back to Barrett; their words are eerily similar. "I know that some of my prayers have had...odd results of late, but I truly believe the storm is to blame. I feel no change in my connection to my Lord and diety."
Dhann grows a bit more businesslike in his demeanor. "As it happens, I was going to suggest we stay in this room for the night. We know the storm's turbulence is anomalous to past black nights, and I don't feel we should risk being out of doors after dark, tonight. And - " A discrete glance at Maran, "Considering we've been looking at another map and locations of potential import, teleporting may yield...diverted results." His posture relaxes then, understanding for where his friends are coming from, coloring his words. "I don't have to cast any magic of that sort. I can partake of my standard prayers before retiring for the night, and I can send the Father and let him know I'll be at the Hall when I can be."
"I can understand your hesitance in relying on a god that may not hold such precedence in your lives as mine. But I've had no sign from him for any doubt in my heart. If he isn't answering me, I'm sure someone else, somewhere else, is receiving what they need from him."
"It's not like that." Elyana replies softly.
She clears her throat, fingers curled around a utensil she's forgotten about, knuckles pale. "We don't doubt your faith in Helm. And we don't doubt Helm's importance to you and to everything we've done so far. And if the storm is to blame, Barrett suggested going to the Hall you'd be getting at least better answers than the rest of us can currently we give you." She leans in further, pushing her food away now, suddenly not hungry, and sighs and looks at Barrett. "Can we wait another day or two? Nothing good is going to come from casting anything tonight anyways. Right?"
"I know it's not," Dhann responds just as quietly. "Please don't think I'm disregarding your concerns or support. Quite the opposite." The Cleric is silent for a minute or two, deep in thought, but then he speaks again. “I don’t know if I’ll find any answers at the Hall. I pray that I will, but I’ll admit I’m still sorting what I might need to ask. And I don’t know if it would help, either, but I’ve considered a renewal of my vows. I think…” Dhann looks inward a bit, reflecting on something. “That would mean much, to me.”
He comes fully back to the room, and takes in each of his friends’ countenances. “What I do know is that getting Maran instated as the Blackstaff will help, many things - the city, us…especially Maran. And one way I can contribute is sorting these papers, even just a bit. Even if we were at the Hall, I’d be thinking of these.” He gestures at the documents on the table before him. “I’d like to help Maran, first.”
“And I thank you, for the consideration towards me, in the midst of what we’ve found ourselves in. Truly.”
Ely wants to reply, but feels like she's digging herself into a hole the more she tries to make sense of the situation. And being stuck in this private room instead of being in the busy main hall is strangely suffocating. She doesn't want to walk back on what she and Barrett spoke of outside this room. She doesn't want to disregard Dhann's feelings either. She just hopes that when Barrett chimes in, it'll be something better than anything she can add in this moment. And the overwhelming unknowingness of it all has her too stressed to eat.
Ely sighs, resorting to crossing her arms and leaning against the wall behind her. She takes controlled sips from her cup waiting for anyone else to reply.
Barrett looks at Ely. He starts to mouth something to her, but remembering that Dhann can understand it with perfect clarity whether it’s aloud or not, he quietly says, “Drag, per se” with a slight ‘I told you so’ roll of his eyes. He lowers his gaze to his plate. Just one quiet meal after a long day…that’s all he really wanted.
And it has been a long day, by any type of accounting. Mirt, now the Minister of Trade for a crumbling city. Some of Ander’s secrets deciphered. The City of the Dead. The Crypt. A battle with Gremmin the Death Knight and some of his lethal best friends. The Forbiddance spell. Back to Trollskull for debate and a hijacked Teleportation attempt. The Pellamcopse Woods. The Nameless Haunt. Another battle, this time with tree root critters and deer-birds and a dozen cat-man-birds. A nest. Azuredge and a verbose undecipherable Waterdeep moon map. Helm’s Hall. The Yawning Portal. Meloon Wardragon and Azureblade.
And now, cold fried chicken…and the unknown terrors of a Black Night. This ‘long day’ might not be over. Not by a long shot. He picks a flake of fried batter from the chicken and stares at it. Without looking up, he begins.
“Dhann, we hear you, we really do. And I’ll say it again that we have not lost faith in you, nor in your faith in Helm.” He finally looks up, locking eyes with the young man he has come to respect. “You say you want to help install Maran because that will do the most good for the most people. Fine. That’s very on-brand for you.” He glances at Ely and then back again at Dhann. “But to do that, we think we need you at your best. And you at your best is you with a strong connection to Helm. That’s why we are proposing we move our operations to the Hall for the evening. We need to go there at some point and it's got the support mechanisms to help you. And that is how you…how we…will help Maran the most.”
Popping the flake into his mouth, he relishes the crunch and salt and grease for a moment, then speaks again. “If you are worried about getting to the Hall safely, I will volunteer to go scout the way right now to see if there are any roaming monsters. It’s only 3300 feet away, as the dragon flies, so well within our iBones' range. Alone and with my Ki fully recharged, I can outrun anything out there…and I can be pretty stealthy when I need to be. We’ll stick to Soothsayer’s Way and the Way of the Dragon, two well-lit, well-traveled streets. I have complete faith that I will be the only one out there, because I believe your Forbiddance spell will have rid the streets of anything nasty. The curfew has started, but it’s not actually sundown yet, so there is time to do this if we start now.”
He pauses, looking to read something on Dhann's face that will indicate which way he is leaning. He can see the young lad is probably going to opt to stay here, and he can't blame him. It's just who Dhann is. But that doesn't mean he has to stay here all night. The idea of checking out the city during a Black Night is tempting..."I'm going to eat this chicken while you think. Don't feel any pressure one way or the other. We'll support you either way."
Ely steadily brings her mug to her lips, listening to Barrett's words. The Monk's clear explanation echos her own thoughts, mostly. The eventuality of everything. Eventually... Helm, Eventually...Hall. Eventually. But listening to Dhann say his piece before, it made sense that, if they didn't need Helm's help tonight, they could wait to go to the Hall on a better evening and Dhann could focus on this code, and how to solve it and they could ask questions of other topics. Mostly she's just surprised by Dhann's decision to not go. She just didn't think he'd say no. She thought, if anything, Dhann would be glad to go to the Hall, but she thought wrong. She didn't think this was the discussion they'd be having right now. And she did not want it to be. Looking around the table, she got the sense none of them did.
Despite all the short sips, when Barrett goes quiet to finish his now cold meal, Ely has completely drained her cup. She places it gently on the table and leans forward again, resting her chin on clasped hands. She has a lot she wants to say, but only some of it matters enough to mention so she starts off slowly and carefully trying not to get her words mixed around. "If you don't want to go to the Hall tonight, that's okay. I thought it would be fine to ask because it's the Hall and you've never--" She looks up to catch Dhann's pale eyes and drops her gaze again, "Well, you've hardly ever turned down going to the Hall. You even said you wanted to talk to Father Evencrest before."
She pauses briefly, waving her hand to cut herself off. "It's fine."
But when she opens her mouth to continue, she struggles to find the words again. The warmth of embarrassment rises across her face when she finally speaks, "We've all decided to help Maran, and you're right about deciding to focus on what you can do right now. Also we've all got weird magical shit we're dealing with and it's not fair to single you out like you're the only one. The storm affects all of us. And eventually we're all going to have to figure out a way to deal with it. So I'm sorry for ganging up on you like that. I hope you know it wasn't intended."
Barrett’s “Drag per se,” has Dhann’s mouth tick in a minuscule, one sided grin, watching the tiny exchange with a glint in his eyes. But as Ely and Barrett talk, Dhann’s face soon shows only concern and attention to them. He can’t help but feel a blueness, somehow, watching them, hearing them. A fond, protective blueness that can’t quite be explained, even though it tints everything, is so very visible.
“I always want to go to the Hall.” Dhann begins by addressing Ely first. “It’s unlike anywhere else, for me. I may always want to go there, but…sometimes I feel, somehow, that it might not be the right time to go.” The Cleric’s gentle tone is wholly unpatronizing or belittling. “This is one of those moments.”
Dhann’s gaze takes in Barrett as well, at this point, replying to both his friends. “I understand your concerns, where you’re coming from. I really do. I thank you for both, and your candor. Your belief. And I not only want to speak to the Father, but I know I need to. I just can’t justify it tonight, given what we have access to here, and what we’ve just learned. And seeing-“ Dhann looks away, pain slightly sharpening his features. “Seeing the people, their terrible suffering - I couldn’t…I couldn’t bear distracting any of the clergy there, tonight, of all nights. Especially Father Evencrest.” The Cleric is silent for a moment, thinking of the sorrowful place the Hall has become, not to mention the city. It occurs to him just how little time they’ve been “back,” but just how much they’ve missed. And for all the change in the world, that doesn’t begin to compare to how much they’ve changed as people. Or perhaps…settled into their roles.
“It’s been a terrible couple of days, that’s undeniable. Yet even for the uncertainties we’re facing, we have a warm room, we have a night to talk, to eat and rest and perhaps find some answers, however small, but find them together. I’m sure Durnan would let us stay here for the night, and he can probably provide some information of his own, along with anything else we might ask of Renaer and Master Wardragon.” Turning to Barrett, Dhann says, “I won’t stop you if you do any scouting. But my magic, if it does work, will only block any additional creatures that would have used the portal. Anything already in the streets would still be a threat, I’m afraid. Please, if you do go, be especially careful.” His voice is thick with concern, but he knows if exploring would help Barrett, the Monk is incredibly capable, and far from unaware.
Thunder rumbles from outside, muted and tumbling. Dhann interlaces his fingers to rest on the tabletop, and the white Eye glimmers, sensing, on the back of his right hand. The Cleric stares down at the papers in front of him, almost in a posture of prayer; head slightly down and eyes averted from the rest of the room. “I have faith that we’ll figure all of this out. And I understand that may mean we can’t solve everything as a group, all of the time.”
“But…tonight, I hope you stay, here, and we spend this time together. Good food and better company make for lighter hearts, no matter how heavy the surrounding dark - If you’ll forgive another platitude.” Dhann gives Barrett a small, kind smile. “Besides,” Dhann’s eyes now slide to Elyana, peeking up from under his tousled bangs. “If I’m at the Hall, you know I won’t be able to resist giving my bedroll to the first person I see.”
Tense shoulders relax a little, and golden speckled eyebrows twitch at the Cleric's final statement. Elyana fights the urge to roll her eyes or to let the corner of her mouth break into an wry smirk but she fails to hide it. Toying with the handle of her empty mug, wondering whether or not to fill it up again, she responds, "It would be a very you thing to do."
She shoves her mug and food aside, in favor of the Historia, inspects the page it's currently on and flips to the next one before looking up at Dhann. "Next time we'll just have to get you two." The gaze lingers long enough to convey her feelings across to him, before adding to the rest of the room, "For those who can't leap tall buildings in a single bound, I can offer you transport by teleportation circle to Trollskull or Helm's Hall if you prefer it and magic allows it."
Dhann meets Elyana's eyes surely, and his expression clearly relays to the Warlock that he hears her, those few words. And there's a glimmer of amusement at Ely's observation, and more lighthearted pitch. As she turns to offer potential options for travel to the others, Dhann takes the opportunity to drink from his own mug; the water is refreshingly cold. He stands, politely pushing in his seat. "Speaking of teleporting, I'd like to see if Durnan's free to join the conversation. I want to ask if we could have access to his circle, here, and I'm interested in what he can tell us of his experiences in the Shadowfell."
"And Renaer, Meloon-" The Cleric addresses the two other men, "If you would be willing to stay and dine with us? Barrett and Elyana have certainly brought enough for everyone. I know we have more questions, and it would be greatly appreciated to have your company for a bit longer." Dhann then tilts his head slightly, regarding Renaer and their new acquaintance with a bit more of an evaluating look, "And if I may speak as a simple Cleric for a moment, I think sitting and decompressing for even a few additional minutes would do you some good."
Elyana gives Dhann's suggestion some thought. She'd been wanting to get the Yawning Portal teleportation circle in her notebook since they arrived, before the derailment of the conversation. And ignoring that for the moment, she knows the two important goals are affixing Maran into the Blackstaff position and restoring the sky above Waterdeep. She can't figure for the life of her if they will need actual moonlight or a moonbeam to read the map, but that route would be impossible now with the shadow storm overhead. Even less so, trying to contact Helm. With some idea for stoping the storm, closing the portal, Dhann's mention of the other plane strikes a cord with her own previous line of thinking.
"The Shadowfell-- Could be something worth checking... if we can't move forward with the Blackstaff stuff. Or it's the way to move forward." Ely mumbles, mostly to herself. Untouched roasted veggies and potatoes are suddenly moved down the table towards Renaer and Meloon. "Please, have some if you would like." And to Dhann. "Can I... join you to see the circle?"
The Cleric turns from almost reaching the door, catching Elyana's question. "Of course," A slight hint of puzzlement quirks his brow but it's gone with a nod. "Hopefully Durnan's not too difficult to find, on such a busy night." Pulling the door open to a modest but accessible degree, Dhann moves through first. Giving the common room a searching look, indulging in cautiousness, he then steps slightly to the side, courteously holding the door open for Ely to follow him.
She removes the Bag of Holding, pulls her notebook from its depths, tears a strip out and lays it between the Historia's current pages. Finally setting the bag down between Z and Barrett, "Be back soon. Hopefully with Durnan and a circle memorized." Then Ely slips out behind the rest, and exits the room again.
-
Session 99, Weaving on a Jetplane
- This session takes place 14 Mirtul, 1494
- Renaer gives the group some details about Shadowfell. It is seen as an echo of the material plane, of a sort. The origin of Shadow magic. If you stay there too long there is a risk that you will begin to change, even physically. It is Shar's domain. Illusions can get stuck, wild storms, dark creatures. No time dilation, it is normal. The storm outside continues to grow in intensity and rages throughout the rest of the conversation. Oddly, the dark monsters in the streets seem to almost be panicked or frenetic. Bonnie closes the portal in the center of the tavern as extra protection due to the storm acting so strange. The storm eventually peters off. The storm is calmer but the creatures are growing more frantic. The group gets a room for the night at the tavern and is awoken by the Bag of Holding, for some reason, moving. Gremmin's arm shoots forth as the gang tries to keep him from climbing out and attacking them in the confines of their quarters.
-
Barrett, still holding the end of his Rope of Climbing, looks at his companions and then back at the armored arm protruding from the bag. It's not motionless, but it isn't flailing around seeking a target. "I know this may sound a bit crazy, but I think we should try to talk with Gremmin and work something out with him."
"As far as we know, he's not in league with Drezlin or Cyric, and he can't really want that S'fell portal opening every night in Waukeen's temple. For that matter, he might even be able to tell us a bit about what he's seen when it is open, which could be invaluable. In exchange for that and free passage through the crypt, we could return him to his sarcophagus and promise to do everything we can to close the portal permanently...and maybe even clean up her chapel and secure it from further looting."
"I'm sure he's evil in one sense, but even evil beings have to make a deal or two occasionally to get what they want. Besides, he fought bravely and for something he believed in. For my part, I don't actually bear him any ill will." Barrett steps over to Dhann and places a healing hand on his shoulder where the arm struck him, manipulating Dhann's Ki to recover his health. "What do the rest of you think?"